okay but do we have to leave so soon

[liakoura]

The Ardelay twins loiter in the palace for a few days, then fall back to the Chialto house, in plenty of time to receive any prompt reply to the correspondence Kiri sent out when they arrived in the city.

Comments

[calescent]

"Thank you," Kiri chuckles.

[allthebrightest]

Tia leads Kiri to a nearby sitting room.

[calendarofcrime]

Where Sarelle promptly appears. Not very mysteriously, given Tia's partial explanation.

[calescent]

"Hi. Loel says he'd rather I be there to introduce the other primes to him if people are going to visit him, although it's not a hard requirement if you aren't free to leave soon. I've written Patience already; I'll be asking Ekador next."

[calendarofcrime]

"I have no strong demands on my time in the near future," says Sarelle.

[calescent]

"How about I swing by tomorrow morning and collect you?"

[calendarofcrime]

"That sounds entirely feasible."

[calescent]

"Okay, great. See you then. It was nice to meet you, Tia."

[allthebrightest]

"Yeah, same!" chirps Tia.

[calescent]

Kiri lets herself out and heads for Ekador's house.

[pyrophyte]

Ekador answers his own door.

"Hello."

[calescent]

"Hi! Loel wants me present to make introductions when he meets the other primes. I've written Patience, for all that she's not technically prime yet, and Sarelle's coming with me tomorrow morning; do you want to join us?"

[pyrophyte]

"I'd be happy to."

[calescent]

"All right, I'll pick you up tomorrow, then. And if Patience shows up you'll have a chance to meet her too, I'm not sure if Sarelle already has but she could have done without my noticing."

[pyrophyte]

"I look forward to it."

[calescent]

"See you then."



So the following morning, as promised, Kiri's carriage (driven by Aleko as usual) sets out to swing by the Dochenza and then the Serlast house.

[calendarofcrime]

Sarelle is ready when they arrive, and can be collected into their carriage with minimal fuss.

[pyrophyte]

Ekador chooses to ride his own horse again. He is likewise ready and fuss-free.

[liakoura]

To the Lalindar house they go!

"Getting along with the horse okay?" Aleko inquires of Ekador.

[pyrophyte]

"Yes, thank you," he says. "We have had very few disagreements so far."

[liakoura]

"Now I'm imagining you arguing with a horse. The Malinquan accent makes it funnier."

[pyrophyte]

[liakoura]

"'No, you may not have any more oats!'" intones Aleko in a fake Malinquan accent. "'But I shall die of deprivation without them!'" he replies to himself, dropping this accent in favor of a vaguely neighing effect on the vowels.

[pyrophyte]

Ekador giggles.

[liakoura]

"This set," Aleko says, gesturing at the pair drawing the Ardelay carriage, "don't even like oats, but the one on the left goes out of her mind for apples."

(The one on the left flicks an ear in response to the word "apples".)